


The World's Worst Witch {Reylo Hogwarts AU}

by Oversleeper99



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Almost Kiss, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, POV Rey (Star Wars), Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Burn Rey/Kylo Ren
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:15:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24579643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oversleeper99/pseuds/Oversleeper99
Summary: There was something pulling her back to Hogwarts and the magic world. It wrapped itself round her brain and squeezed it tightly like a snake. It was something she only dared think about in fleeting moments before she banished it back into the back of her mind where it would fester like an abscess. She wouldn’t dare dwell on it for too long, no, small doses only.It was a poison.It was a weakness.It was a chink in her amour.Rey Johnson is offically the world's worst witch. To make matters worse, she comes from a family of some of the best witches Hogwarts has seen.With the dreaded NEWTs drawing closer, Rey has to find a way to prove to not only herself, but seemingly the wizarding world as a whole, that she can live up to her family's name.That's easier said than done when a certain dark-haired, dark-eyed boy is haunting your consciousness.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 22
Kudos: 45





	1. Chapter One

It was 5am when Rey woke with a start. It was the day she’d dreaded throughout the summer break. She wished she could stay at home and not go back to Hogwarts. She seemed to be the only person in the wizarding world that wasn’t obsessed with the place. Except, maybe, for one other person.

Rey flung the quilted blanket aside and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. Her feet touched the cold wooden floor of her room and she looked around groggily. As she stood up, her bed remade itself and she frowned. Her school robes were hung neatly on her wardrobe door; the enchanted duster fussing over it and brushing a summer’s worth of dust from the shoulders. Her trunk lay sprawled out on the floor with its contents spilling out. Books, parchment, quills, clothes, boots, chocolate frogs. Merlin only knew how she was going to fit everything in there. She might have to persuade one of the others to cast a minimising charm on some of her books for the journey.

Her wand lay on top of the mess, cushioned by a pair of khaki shorts. She hadn’t touched it at all throughout the summer break. She assumed it didn’t miss her touch. It was probably thankful for the break from its incompetent master. She picked it up and threw it onto her bed carelessly. She pulled on the shorts and a vest. Although it was September, the temperate weather hadn’t yet subsided – summer was still clinging on for dear life. It would be a good month until she had to start wearing her warmer clothes again.

None of her sisters were up yet. That wasn’t surprising, of course. Aayla probably hadn’t fallen asleep until a few hours ago from the excitement. It was her first year at Hogwarts and she was getting increasingly hysterical as the start of term was drawing closer. Her excitement seemed to grow as rapidly as Rey’s unease to go back. Ahsoka and Bultar were likely revelling in the prospect of a lie-in.

She trudged down the thin spiral staircase passing the broomsticks leant against the wall, the glossy walnut handle of her Firebolt calling out to her. Although she’d never outwardly admitted it, Quidditch had improved her time at Hogwarts and had even made it bearable during a good season. She grabbed the broomstick, headed through the kitchen and out the back door into the garden.

The garden was what Rey loved the most about the house. What her sisters hated about living in the countryside, Rey was enamoured with. The air was crisp that morning, with the amber sun only beginning to peak over the trees to shower the land with its golden glow. Dew that clung to the grass sparkled and amplified the sun’s rays like thousands of tiny prisms. The grass was cold and wet against her bare feet, but Rey didn’t mind. In fact, she welcomed the alertness it gave her as she began to shake off her grogginess.

The garden gnomes scattered into the bushes like cockroaches at the sight of her. Rey chuckled to herself as she mounted her broom. She was going to miss terrorising the little gits while she was at Hogwarts. The thought of the place dampened her otherwise new-found good mood, so she kicked off the ground and began her ascent. She shot up into the sky, as high as the broom would take her. She stopped just below the clouds and looked down. The house looked so small from up there, it reminded her of the doll’s house she got for Christmas one year. The dolls were miniature versions of the family. The doll of her mother sported a charming pinafore and her chestnut wool hair was tied neatly into a bun. The doll spent most of its time casting miniature spells and writing in her miniature notebook just like its muse. The doll depicting Rey, however, was constantly bumping into the walls much to her dismay.

Rey looked beyond the house, past the rolling hills and expansive forests, towards the mountains peaking over the horizon. For the briefest of moments, she considered flying over to them. She could hide deep in the misty mountains. Perhaps she would run into trolls; maybe the odd giant. She could stay there all day and miss the train that left at 11. Mother wouldn’t make her go if she really didn’t want to. She could stay at home help by running errands around the house. She could explore the mountains and be back in time for supper with Ahsoka and Bultar. She wouldn’t have to sit her NEWTs, she wouldn’t have to endure the berating from her professors or the pitiful stares from her fellow pupils. She could even forget the magic world altogether and get a muggle job. Although, that was never really an option for those brought into the world of magic. No one really went back to the muggle world once they’d been exposed to magic. They were too infatuated with the flashy confectionary and the overall charm of the useless ability of being able to turn a rat into a goblet. Rey seemed to be not only immune to this infatuation but seemed rather irritated by it.

But there was something pulling her back to Hogwarts and the magic world. It wrapped itself round her brain and squeezed it tightly like a snake. It was something she only dared think about in fleeting moments before she banished it back into the back of her mind where it would fester like an abscess. She wouldn’t dare dwell on it for too long, no, small doses only.

It was a poison.

It was a weakness.

It was a chink in her amour.

~*~

She had hated him from the minute she’d laid eyes on him. It was just before the Sorting Ceremony in their first year. Although they were all fresh-faced and too short to have fully grown into their robes yet, he had still towered over the rest of the first years. He was at least a foot taller than everyone else. Rey wasn’t entirely convinced he wasn’t a victim of a deflected stretching hex gone wrong. His arms and legs seemed too long for him at the time. He had dark hair that fell in waves, grazing his jaw. His eyes were dark like his hair and general aura. They were so piercing, Rey thought if he stared at someone hard enough, they’d combust on the spot.

He was standing with a rodent-like boy whose ginger hair had been slicked down into a side parting. Both wore stern expressions as if they knew some sort of dark secret that would soon be exposed to everyone around them. They were Slytherin, no doubt about it. The Sorting Hat barely grazed the head of the ginger boy, Rey later found was called Hux, before announcing Slytherin. The Sorting Hat had a bit more trouble deciding with the mysterious dark-haired boy, however. They seemed to be having a discussion of sorts, as though neither one of them knew which House he would fit in.

_Perhaps he doesn’t belong in any house,_ Rey thought to herself just before he was decreed a Slytherin. Of course, he’s a Slytherin. All the bad ones are. She wasn’t exactly sure what it was about him that repulsed her so much. Maybe it was the icy aura he dragged round with him. Maybe it was the way he made no effort to converse with anyone but his ratty sidekick. Maybe it was because he was so good at magic. Rey felt a pang on envy at the thought. It wasn’t fair; he didn’t need to be good at magic. He came from a very powerful, affluent family in the Wizarding world. He could be the most hopeless Squib in history and employers would still be fighting tooth and nail over him. But, unfortunately, he wasn’t the most hopeless Squib in history – that position was already filled.

The sun had fully risen in the sky when she made her dissent back down to Earth once again. Rey tried not to think too much about what it would be like to live up in the clouds and never have to step foot into the world below. It made her too sad.

Aayla and their mother were sat at the kitchen table when Rey walked into the kitchen through the back door. Aayla was chattering away excitedly, feeding her owl small chunks of toast.

“You can’t just feed him bread, you know,” Rey sighed, “he’ll get fat.”

Aayla spun round almost knocking the knife that had been bewitched to butter the toast off its course.

“It’s just a treat before the journey today. I don’t want him to get too restless.”

Aayla’s owl was a plump little thing. Rey was astonished it could even take flight. It was a white snowy owl with peculiar flecks of navy blue on its belly. Aayla was rather taken with it and had named it ‘Artoo’. She claimed that the owl resembled some sort of robot in an old muggle film she had seen a poster of in the nearby village. No one else had ever heard of said film so they all just took her word for it.

“Have you seen Bebe recently?” Their mother asked Rey, not looking up from her book: ‘Mastering the Art of Gnome Extermination’.

“Not yet. He should be back today though. He knows to come back before the start of term.” Rey muttered distractedly, plucking a freshly buttered slice of toast from under the enchanted knife.

Bebe was her owl. He was a magnificent barn owl with orange and white markings framing his face. He was fiercely independent, and Rey thought it was quite cruel to keep him cooped up all summer so she let him out at the beginning of the holidays, and he would come back just before the start of the school term. It kept him chipper and she let him be an owl rather than a caged bird.

“I spoke to Admiral Ackbar this morning,” her mother said softly, “he said that there might be an opening for a general assistant in the Ministry’s Security Division. Minimal magic required and, with a bit of drive, you might be able to progress.”

“No thanks.”

“You won’t even consider it?”

“No.”

There was an awkward silence around the table aside from the sound of Artoo rustling his feathers. Rey wanted nothing less than to work in the Ministry of Magic – it would be like Hogwarts but worse. Having a job position like that with her family name would make her the laughingstock of the wizarding world. There was also the prospect of working in the same building as Ahsoka and Bultar. Although, they would most likely ignore her to keep up appearances. It wouldn’t look good to be associated with a witch like her.

Her mother sighed. “Well, have a think. There’s no rush; you’ve still got another year to think about jobs yet.”

Rey grunted in response, already sick of the subject. It dawned on her that the future and jobs would be all anyone would be talking about this year, seeing it was her final year at Hogwarts. Any elated feeling that she had from being up in the clouds this morning had been well and truly trodden on. She poured herself a cup of tea and took it upstairs to sip on while she packed.

She could hear Ahsoka and Bultar beginning to stir from below her. Ahsoka was the eldest at 25 and was somewhat of a legend at Hogwarts. She was one of the best seekers Ravenclaw had ever seen and had received such good NEWT results, she joined the Auror recruits immediately after graduating Hogwarts just as their mother had done when she left Hogwarts. That being said, it wasn’t her talents that gained her this semi-celebrity status at Hogwarts, but her fiery, audacious attitude. The professors were always saying that she could sell ice to a yeti.

Bultar, however, wasn’t so extroverted at Hogwarts but what she lacked in charisma, she made up in magical ability. She was 21 and had some of the best NEWT results Hogwarts had ever seen. There were rumours that she could produce a Patronus in her second year and her duelling skills rivalled that of professor Yoda. She, too, joined the Ministry of Magic Auror program shortly after leaving Hogwarts.

It was safe to say that the Johnson family name held a lot of expectation. With three successful Aurors in the family, Rey’s future seemed to have been decided for her by students and teachers alike when she had first stepped foot in Hogwarts. Although, it was quickly discovered that Rey did not hold the same magical ability as the rest of her family. In fact, it was the opposite. She had barely any magical ability. She could knock out a few first-year level spells and could just about get a broomstick to listen to her commands but that was the extent of it. Her teachers had been thoroughly disappointed with the dud Johnson that had been bestowed upon them as they were expecting something as great as her predecessors. Professor Holdo even wrote to her mother to ask if she was really hers. Her classmates had made quips about how much of a failure she was compared to her sisters and even the shopkeepers in Hogsmeade were underwhelmed by her.

She was throwing her possessions angrily into her trunk when she heard a sharp tap at the window. She looked up into the familiar, beady eyes of a barn owl perched on her windowsill. He was staring at her with his head cocked to the side slightly with something in his mouth. She walked over to the window and opened it. He flew in and perched on her shoulder, nuzzling his head into her hair as if to say he’d missed her.

“Hey Bebe, I was beginning to think you weren’t coming back,” she chuckled, “What’ve you got there, buddy?”

She held her palm out under his beak and he dropped the small roll of parchment onto it. It was tied with a thin yellow ribbon and Rey instantly knew who it was from. She unravelled it in excitement and began to read.

_Dearest Rey,  
Sorry I haven’t been able to write over the summer; it’s been totally crazy here in Norway. There are no owls to be seen and we had a devil’s job working out the muggle postal system! Lucky Bebe found us so we could send a few letters out before the start of term.  
You’ll never believe the number of magical creatures hidden in the mountains of Kristiansand! Poe claims to have spotted a giant at some stage but I think he’s embellishing. There are a fair few trolls in these parts! It would have been great for you to join us, but I know you wanted to get away from it all for a bit. Finn and Poe send their love and we can’t wait to see you when we’re back at Hogwarts. We’ve got some crazy news to tell you on the train ride there!!  
Love,  
Rose xx_

A small smile played on Rey’s lips. The one thing she had missed about Hogwarts was her friends. Rose, Finn and Poe were the only ones that didn’t judge her ineptness when it came to magic. They, like many friends at Hogwarts, had met on the train in their first year. Rey had hoped they would all be in the same house, but Rose and Finn were sorted into Hufflepuff, much to her disappointment. Poe, however, was a Gryffindor so she wasn’t entirely isolated after curfew. Rey had not expected to be sorted into Gryffindor when she came from a family of Ravenclaws. It’s now clear to everyone why Ravenclaw wasn’t meant to be. Rey believed she never truly belonged in any house. She wasn’t clever like her sisters, or kind like Rose and Finn. She wasn’t particularly ambitious when it came to wizardry and she hadn’t really done anything to deem her as especially courageous. If there was a house for mediocrity, she’d be Head Girl – no, founder. _Maybe I should start my own house: Forgetmepuff – the house for the middle of the road forgettable. Founder: Whatshername,_ Rey thought to herself with a smirk.

She was startled by the clock striking 9am behind her and began shoving the last of her belongings into her trunk. She opened her wardrobe and dug out the hunting knife she kept hidden under an old hat box; she wrapped it up in some underwear and stowed it in the bottom of her trunk.

She shooed away the enchanted feather duster still fussing over her robes and threw them in with the rest of her clothes. With a lot of effort, she managed to get her trunk shut without the assistance of magic. Bebe remained perched on her shoulder. He wasn’t really a cage owl, so Rey never bothered getting him one. She threw on her chestnut leather jacket, it fit her so perfectly, she couldn’t bear go without it. She picked up her wand from the bed and slotted it into her thigh holster. That holster was the best fifty galleons she’d ever spent. Her friends told her she’d been ripped off, but Rey insisted that it was a great purchase. It fit her perfectly and she wasn’t going to use her wand much anyway, so she might as well make it stylish.

~*~

They took the Floo Network to The Leaky Cauldron and walked from there to King’s Cross Station because it was the most inconspicuous way of travel. The professors always urged the pupils not to draw too much attention to themselves on the way to Hogwarts. Ahsoka said there was an incident with a couple of second years and a flying car one year which had since made the school particularly twitchy about drawing attention to themselves.

They had been instructed to come in their regular clothes and get changed in their robes on the train, so Rey was wearing her usual outfit consisting of her trusty leather jacket, green khaki shorts, a black vest and knee-high brown leather boots. She had to pull her thigh holster further up her leg, so her wand wasn’t visible to passing muggles. She openly stared at them as they hurried past her. She wondered where they were going and why they were always in such a hurry.

“Rey,” hissed her mother, “stop staring. It’s rude.”

Rey rolled her eyes. She heard a faint chirp of annoyance from Bebe as he had to share a cage with Artoo for the journey, much to his disgust. Rey just shrugged at him as if to say _sorry buddy, it wasn’t my idea._

Once they reached King’s Cross, it didn’t take long for them to locate Platform 9¾ seeing as they had been there what seemed like hundreds of times between herself, Ahsoka and Bultar. Aayla was practically dragging their mother along, brimming with excitement. Rey noticed that she didn’t seem nervous at all for her first year at Hogwarts. She assumed it was because you couldn’t get any worse of a witch than Rey so there wasn’t exactly a high expectation to live up to her older sister. Plus, it seemed that it was only Rey whom the magical talent gene had skipped over because Aayla was a natural with magic. She took to the wizarding world like a duck to water to the immense annoyance of Rey.

It was 10:30 when they got through the wall gate onto the platform. The Hogwarts Express sat puffing its steam, coating the air with a blanket of white and grey. It made everything seem ghostly, like she was visiting the place in a dream. Although they were half an hour early, the platform was bustling with people saying goodbyes, meeting up with friends, hauling their luggage onto the train. The sound of the laughter and screeching, the train spewing out steam, a multitude of animals squawking, meowing and ribbiting was almost too much to bear. Rey couldn’t wait to find Poe, Finn and Rose so they could find a quiet carriage to claim.

She was craning her neck to search for the trio when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. A shiver ran down her spine from her skull to her coccyx. She was being watched. She was a mouse and a bird of prey was waiting to strike.

She knew exactly who it was.

She slowly turned around to face them and was greeted by the expressionless face of the person she was expecting.

She met his eyes.

A strand of his dark hair fell lazily on his forehead.

His mouth twisted into a sneer.

Her palms began to sweat.

Her eyes bore into his with as much hatred as she could muster.

God, she hated him.

He hated her.

He was Ben Solo.


	2. Chapter Two

She never got to meet her father; he died before she was born. He was a muggle. She imagined that life would be very different if he was still alive. He would likely empathise with her struggles to fit in the world of magic. She knew they would have had a special bond. She knew she’d feel a lot less lonely in the isolation of being magically challenged.

Her mother told Rey that he was the muggle’s own version of an Auror. If a muggle killed another muggle, it was his job to find out why. Rey liked the idea of being a muggle Auror. Everything muggles did seemed so simple. They didn’t have spells, potions, hexes or dangerous magical creatures to muddy the waters. They were blissfully ignorant, and Rey couldn’t help being a little jealous.

Aayla’s father was a wizard from the Ministry but he was never too interested in keeping in contact. Bultar told Rey in hushed tones once that it was a good thing because this guy was a right git and didn’t know what their mother was thinking getting involved with him. Aayla didn’t seem to have inherited her father’s temperament, only taking his blond hair and striking blue eyes. It really made her stand out from the rest of the family with their matching chestnut hair and eyes.

Rey’s feet seemed to have been cemented to the spot. She could sense that her family had wondered away to find Aayla a carriage of first years to get her settled into. She suddenly felt cold, exposed even, despite the early autumn heat. He held his gaze, defiantly. His eyes narrowed as if he was trying to concentrate his death stare into a precise beam aimed straight for her head.

He was wearing a black t-shirt that accentuated his broad frame. He seemed taller, but Rey doubted he could have grown that much over the summer. Both Ben and Rey had their birthdays in September so were at the cusp of 18. He had dark leather boots that narrowed into a sharp point at the toe. She wondered if he had ever kicked anyone with those boots; would they draw blood? She didn’t doubt it – he was Slimy Solo after all.

Rey dared herself to look away from the dark pits of his eyes, but she couldn’t tear herself away. She wanted something over him, even if it was just a staring contest. It was as if time had stopped altogether as the sounds around her were muffled and the commotion around them seemed to blur away.

It wasn’t until she felt a firm hand on her shoulder that the noisy world snapped back into place. Her gaze jerked away from Solo to lay upon whoever had foiled her chance of winning the staring contest. She was irritated, this better be important-

“Poe!”

He chuckled. “Hello, stranger.” He picked her up into a bear hug and twirled her around effortlessly. While he spun her, she caught a glimpse of Solo smirking and ducking into a nearby carriage. She banished Ben Solo to the back of her mind and focused on being pleased to see Poe. She’d missed him.

He finally put her down and picked up her suitcase. “Come on, this way. Rose snagged us an empty carriage near the front. I think I saw your mum around there too.”

They made small talk whilst weaving through the sea of students and their families saying their goodbyes. They passed a few Gryffindors that warmly greeted Poe and extended a curt nod towards Rey. It had only taken six years to get some sort of acknowledgement from her housemates.

“So, how was your summer?” Poe asked, swinging her trunk like it was nothing, “Merlin’s beard, what have you got in here? Bricks?” He laughs as Rey gives him a playful shove.

“It wasn’t too bad, actually. Started working out again and the ol’ Firebolt’s kept me entertained.” She patted her broomstick tucked under arm.

“Speaking of,” Poe interrupted, “are you trying out for the Quidditch team this year?” His eyebrows raised, cheekily.

“I’m thinking about it.” Rey chuckled.

As much as she enjoyed Quidditch, being on the team this year hadn’t really crossed her mind. Her performance as a Chaser seemed to be, quite literally, hit or miss. However, it had gained her a certain level of respect from her housemates which seemed to come few and far between.

As they got nearer to the front of the train, Rey spotted her mother fussing over Aalya. She was double, triple, quadruple checking she’d remembered to pack everything.

“Seriously, mum,” Ahsoka signed, irritably, “what are we going to do about it now if she’s forgotten anything? The train leaves in 10 minutes.”

She spots Rey and rolls her eyes, pointing her thumb at their mother. Rey stifles a laugh. Poe points out the carriage they’ll be waiting in and boards the train with her suitcase.

“Oh, Rey! There you are, I thought you’d got on the train without saying goodbye.” Her mother rushed over to her, enveloping her into a warm hug. “Now, you look after your sister, promise me? Keep on top of your studies and, for Merlin’s sake, please stay out of trouble. I don’t want any more letters from Holdo.”

“No promises.” Rey mutters into her mother’s hair.

She opens the cage Bebe was sulking in with Artoo and he shoots out to perch on her shoulder. He lets out an appreciative trill. She says her goodbyes to Ahsoka and Bultar before boarding the train, leaving them to fuss over Aayla a little longer. It was her first year after all. The kid deserved a bit of attention. She pushed her way through the narrow corridor of the train, squeezing past a group of second years crowded round the confectionery trolley. Ever since some kid bought the whole trolley’s worth of sweets one year, people like to get in early.

She found the carriage Poe had pointed out to find Poe and Rose. They were sat opposite each other and seemed to be talking animatedly about something. As she slid the carriage door open, she caught a snippet of their conversation.

“So, I was holding the thing by its tail and the little bastard went for me; narrowly missed my- Rey!” Rose leapt up to give Rey a tight squeeze. Bebe lets out a surprised hoot as Rose’s forehead nudges him slightly and he has to steady himself to avoid toppling off Rey’s shoulder.

“It bit your Rey?” Poe teased and Rose shot him a look.

“Where’s Finn?” Rey asked, looking down at her watch. Finn had quite a nervous temperament, so he was usually the first one here.

“Oh, he just left to grab a chocolate frog before they ran out.”

Rey nodded and flopped down next to Rose. Bebe shifted on her shoulder a bit before hoping over to Poe to perch on his lap. He seemed to be quite taken with Poe. They often joked that Bebe liked Poe more than Rey.

“So, tell me about Norway. What did you guys get up to?”

Rose and Poe shot a grin to each other before divulging into every detail about the trip. It was put on by Hogwarts for Care of Magical Creatures students doing their NEWTs this year. It was optional, of course, but highly recommended. As much as her friends had tried to persuade her to come, the thought of extending her school time through to the summer didn’t appeal much to Rey.

She had to admit, the trip sounded great. They trekked up the mountains and found Pixies, Trolls, Billywigs, and even the odd Bowtruckle. Rose was bitten on the forearm by a Clabbert and seemed very proud of the small scar that resembled tiny teeth marks just below her elbow. Finn returned looking very flustered holding four chocolate frogs.

“Merlin’s beard,” he whined as he passed a chocolate frog to each of them, “20 minutes it took me to find that trolley and there were more first years than I think I’ve ever seen. Is it me or do they seem to be getting younger every year?”

The others hummed in agreement as the platform conductor blew his whistle and the train began spewing a large amount of steam, temporarily clouding the view out the window. As the train began to crawl forward, Rey spotted her family and gave them a quick wave before turning her attention back to the others.

“So,” she sang in anticipation, “what’s this important news you mentioned in your letter?”

Rose’s eyes lit up at this question. “You’ll never guess!” She giggled as Finn and Poe looked at each other then Rey, smirking. “Slimy Solo is in a spot of trouble with the Ministry!”

“What? No.”

“Yep!”

Rey was baffled. That wasn’t the kind of gossip she was expecting to come back from a Hogwarts trip, especially seeing as Solo didn’t even go. It amused her, as it did her friends, that he was finally being treated like everyone else rather than like royalty. It must have been something serious for the Ministry to get involved. His mother, Leia Organa, was the Minister of Magic, hence why the kid seemed to get away with murder.

“What did he do?” She asked.

“Not sure,” Poe replied, distractedly, as he patted Bebe’s head, “the hearing was last week, apparently. Walked away with a couple of hours volunteering at Hogwarts, whatever that entails.”

“We overheard professor Yoda and Chewbacca talking about it on the trip,” whispered Finn. He looked around him as if the walls were listening in, “I think they’re trying to keep it hush hush.”

Poe snorted, “I’m not surprised. Doesn’t look great for mummy dearest.”

“I wonder what he did that was so bad; it forced the Ministry to take action.” Said Rose dreamily as she rested her head against the window. Traces of the city were becoming scarce as the train slithered through the countryside. No one had any suggestions, so they changed the subject to the Quidditch World Cup that was held in Tokyo this year.

~*~

It was around 5pm when Rey started to get peckish. Rose and Poe were napping, mirroring each other’s positions slumped up against the window. Finn was rereading ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’, chewing on his fingernails in concentration.

Rey stood up and softly whistled for Bebe to perch on her shoulder. She slid out of the carriage into the now deserted corridor. Most people had gotten their excitable greetings out of the way and had crashed into a slumber from the frantic morning. The train rocked as she made her way towards the middle of the train where the food trolley usually resided. Bebe chirped contently and chewed on a few strands of her hair.

“I know, I’m hungry too.” She chuckled, untangling her hair from his beak. She had just got to the middle of the train where the food trolley was waiting for her when she heard a familiar set of voices coming up behind her.

One of the voices was deep and hard to decipher exactly what was being said over the sound of the train. The other voice, however, was high-pitched, nasally and unmistakable. She sighed and picked up a box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans. _They might just ignore you. Just keep your head down and don’t draw attention to yourself._ The plan might have worked if Bebe hadn’t let out a deafening squawk at the sight of the two figures walking towards them. _Nice one, partner._

Rey let out a sigh and closed her eyes in anticipation.

“Well, well, if it isn’t everyone’s favourite little squib.”

She huffed a deep breath out of her nose and spun round to look at the two boys stood behind her. Armitage Hux stood there with a nasty grin stretched out on his face with his arms crossed. Next to him towered Ben Solo who hadn’t yet acknowledged her existence.

“A pleasure as always, Hux.” She retorted.

“Worked out the Disarming Charm yet? No, don’t answer. I’m going to take a guess and say you haven’t.” He said theatrically, “Merlin knows that Hogwarts will take anyone if they still let you back. I suppose they’ll start plucking Muggles of the streets to fill seats if they get desperate enough.”

Ben snorted at that and tore is eyes away from the food trolley to look down at her. His eyes were filled with something Rey couldn’t quite read. Was it hatred? Disgust? Pity, even? Possibly a mixture of all three. Before she could snap something back at Hux, Ben spoke first. He turned his gaze back to the trolley.

“Leave it, Hux, don’t waste your breath.” He sounded bored. “She’s hopeless – it’s almost cruel. The poor thing.” He tutted and looked back down on her again with a look of satirical pity on his face. She wanted to punch him.

Rey’s hands balled into fists by her side as Bebe hopped up and down on her shoulder. It probably looked quite comical. She was trying to look intimidating with an owl on her shoulder that was beginning to chew on her hair again.

She pushed past them as they began to laugh hysterically, and power walked all the way back to the carriage. She almost knocked a first year straight of his feet as she strode with such anger, her arms swinging with an immense force.

She must have looked quite flustered as she slipped back into the carriage again because Finn peered over his book at her and frowned, concerned.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, fine.”

She popped a neon yellow every flavoured bean into her mouth. The acidic tang of bile flooded her into mouth as she bit into it.

_Fantastic._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of posting, we've almost got 60 hits! Thank you so much to anyone reading this and anyone that has commented, it's really encouraging so i can't thank you enough.
> 
> Love ya,  
> E x


	3. Chapter Three

The sun had sunk deep below the horizon before they reached Hogsmeade Station. Rey retrieved her robes, now crumpled from being screwed up in her suitcase, and tried her best to smooth them down as much as possible. Looking at the reflection in the darkened carriage window, she adjusted her tie and tucked it into her grey tank top. Bebe hopped onto her shoulder; he had been snoozing on the luggage rack above the seats but was roused by the sudden commotion of students hurrying off the train.

Rey, Poe, Finn and Rose waited in their carriage to let the chaos of everyone trying to get off the train at once subside before grabbing their suitcases and hauling them onto the platform. As soon as she stepped off the train, Bebe pushed off her shoulder and flew off into the night, towards the castle’s owlery. It had cooled off now the sun had gone down and Rey shivered from the sudden change in temperature.

“Cold, Johnson?” Hux’s nasally voice pierced the air. “Heard you’ve got a younger sister starting this year. It’s going to be pretty embarrassing when she can do more in the first week than you’ve managed in six years.”

She heard a couple of snickers from the group of Slytherins approaching them, but she didn’t turn to face them. She could feel his presence like a dark cloud.

“Oh, piss of would you, Hux?” Poe snapped, “School hasn’t even started yet, leave it out.”

“Sounds like someone’s a bit touchy.”

“Protecting your little pet squib, Dameron?”

“Pretty pathetic if you ask me.”

She heard the group of Slytherins jabbering away to each other, loudly. There were trying to get a reaction from her, and she knew it. She wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction, however. She began briskly walking towards the horseless carriages that would take them up to the castle with Finn, Rose and Poe in tow.

~*~

She rested her head against the misty window, staring into the darkness, as the carriage made its way methodically up to the castle. The glass felt cool against her forehead. She had learned not to expect the very much respect as a witch after her first year at Hogwarts. It had become glaringly obvious that she was a disappointment within the first week. At first, she was called a “steady learner” but once the year was up and she hadn’t so managed a levitation charm, the professors had given up reassuring her that it would come to her one day with practice. She would hear her classmates whispering, branding her a squib, wondering why she was even there. Truth be told, Rey didn’t know either. She let out a sigh and felt Rose’s hand squeeze her arm reassuringly.

The rich, golden glow of the castle peaked over the trees as they drew nearer. Despite her ill feelings towards the place, Rey couldn’t deny its beauty. The castle stood so proudly on top of the hill, its turrets towering over the land surrounding it.

“Merlin’s beard, I’m starving,” Finn whined, “do you think they’ll have pea soup for starters?”

“Of all the food that the Sorting Ceremony has to offer you’re craving pea soup?”

“What? It’s nice!”

“It’s bloody boring, that’s what it is.”

Finn and Poe bickered about food for the duration of the journey up to the castle. Rose and Rey sat quietly, still drowsy from the train ride, but gave each other odd smirk every now and then.

The carriage came to a shaky stop just outside the main entrance and the door popped open. Professor Jinn, Gryffindor head of house, stood at the door greeting the students. His kind eyes glimmered in the soft glow from the lantern he was holding. He spotted the four walking towards him and smiled.

“Ah, good evening, seventh years. I trust your summer was an eventful one in Norway?”

Poe, Finn and Rose mumbled out some pleasantries but kept their pace. They didn’t want to rob their grumbling stomachs of food any longer by getting sucked into a conversation with professor Jinn. He gave a polite nod to Rey as she passed him, and she mustered up a smile.

Rey liked professor Jinn, but she always got the impression that he didn’t really know who she was other than the girl that was terrible at magic. She wished she could make a lasting impression, but people seemed to forget about her existence, except when they wanted to laugh at her. She was sure that Jinn wouldn’t have laughed at her but who knows what kind of conversations happened in the staff room?

They were some of the last students to reach the Great Hall. That was except the first years who had taken the boats across the lake with professor Chewbacca. She thought of Aayla in a tiny wooden boat, seeing Hogwarts for the first time and remembered her journey across the lake. She smiled sadly at the memory.

The ceiling, enchanted to mirror the weather outside, was a deep noir with thousands of iridescent flecks. It was beautiful and she wished she could enchant something so wonderful. Rose and Finn hurried over to the Hufflepuff table and took their seats. Their housemates greeted them warmly as they sat down. Rey sometimes wondered whether she should have been a Hufflepuff. She wishes she was. They all seemed so warm and friendly. Maybe the Sorting Hat had made a mistake putting her in Gryffindor.

The doors of the Great Hall swung open just as Rey and Poe took their seats at the back end of the Gryffindor table. A herd of about fifty first years came shuffling through the Hall, staring up at the ceiling in awe. Rey was amazed they hadn’t tripped over each other with the combination of their robes that were far too big for them and the fact they weren’t looking where they were going. Professor Jinn was leading them, holding the Sorting Hat. That thing seemed to look more bedraggled every year. It was a feat it wasn’t a pile of threadbare rags.

She spotted Aayla in the middle of the pack who gave her a small, excited wave. Rey smiled, warmly. She was going to love it here. The first years reached the front of the hall. A small wooden stool had been placed in front of the long table where the professors were sat.

The headmistress, professor Holdo, stood up from her seat at the centre of the table and the low murmurings of the students hushed into silence. She was a tall, thin woman with lilac hair styled into an elegant wavy bob. She adorned deep purple robes that reached the top of her neck down to the floor. She was a firm but fair headmistress and held an air about her that she’d had to fight to get the position she was.

“Welcome, from our first years to our seventh years, welcome to Hogwarts. Welcome home.” She announced, calmly.

Rey couldn’t resist rolling her eyes at this. It was a nice sentiment but corny to say the least. Her classmates, however, didn’t share the same view as they erupted into an applause around her. She conceded with a polite clap.

“I’m sure you’re all weary and hungry from your journey, so I won’t keep you much longer. I do have a short announcement about a rouge Quintaped that has seemed to have strayed from the Isle of Drear.”

This garnered a low hum of mutterings from around the Hall. Quintapeds were not to be messed with by any stretch of the imagination. It was a large hairy beast with five legs, equipped with razor sharp teeth and a strength unmatched in the wizarding world. It was said to have a particular taste for humans but will generally eat anything with a pulse. The Isle of Drear was the only place they ere native to so had been made unplottable by muggles and wizards alike. The Isle was not too far from Hogwarts but was separated from the land by a large expanse of choppy waters. So the question was: how did it get to the mainland?

“Now, it’s nothing to worry about. We’ve made sure to increase the number of staff patrolling the grounds to ensure your safety, but we do ask you to stay vigilant. If you see or hear anything out of the ordinary, please don’t hesitate to tell your professors. Professor Kenobi will also be providing extra Defence Against the Dark Arts refresher sessions in the evenings so if you’re interested, speak to him for the details. Now, on with the Sorting Ceremony!”

This seemed to evaporate the unease around the Hall, but nervous looks were still being exchanged by a few students. The thought of Quintapeds were soon banished from everyone’s minds as the Sorting began shortly after professor Holdo took her seat. Rey had begun to relax when something caught her eye.

Two tables over from the Gryffindor table, sat Ben Solo with the Slytherins. His housemates had turned their attention to the first boy to be sat on the stool and the Sorting Hat was placed on his head. Finn was right; the first years were looking younger every year. He was sat stiffly and wasn’t paying attention to the Sorting.

While Rey often had trouble deciphering his facial expressions, there was an undeniable look etched on Ben Solo’s face. Guilt, unrest, even a slight sprinkling of fear. She never caught a glimpse of such vulnerability in him. She felt like she was looking in on something that wasn't for her eyes; something private.

“Slytherin!” The Sorting Hat roared.

This resulted in the Slytherin table standing and erupting into applause at their new recruit. Solo remained seated, however, his eyes trained on his hands knotting together on the table. She could see his jaw clenching and unclenching. The muscles in his arms twitched, arbitrarily. It had never occurred to Rey before about how strong he probably was. She wondered how easily he would be able to pick her up. By the looks of it, it wouldn’t really be an issue for him. The thought of him having that power over her made her uneasy.

She tore her eyes away from his arms back to his face to be greeted by his icy stare. His dark cedar eyes tore into her own just as they did on platform 9¾. Her breath hitched in her throat at the intensity of his gaze. There was that same unreadable expression on his face from earlier. It made her head feel fuzzy almost like static on an old muggle contraption that held moving pictures. She gripped the edge of the table with both hands, trying to ground herself but it was no use. She was getting lost in his face. His stupid, punchable face.

“Johnson, Aayla!”

She heard professor Jinn call out from the roll of parchment he was holding. She ripped her eyes away from him and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. He was using some sort of dark magic on her. Yes, that must be it. _He’s trying to hypnotise you._ Can he do that? _I wouldn’t put it past Slimey Solo if I were you._

She craned her neck to watch Aayla perch on the small wooden stool. From here she looked so young, too young to be here. The grandeur of the Great Hall seemed to shrink her into a girl that looked no older than eight or nine years old. Jinn gently placed the Sorting Hat atop of her head and it sprung to life.

“A Johnson, eh? Well, there’s only one place for you… Ravenclaw!”

She heard some whoops from the table next to hers and saw Aayla hop up off the stool in excitement. She practically skipped over to the Ravenclaw table. They welcomed her by patting her on the back and offering her warm handshakes. She had a smile so wide that Rey knew her cheeks must be aching. She caught Rey’s eye and gave her another wave. She looked delighted.

Rey returned her wave and felt Poe’s hand squeeze her shoulder. He didn’t say anything but he didn’t have to. Rey felt a pang of sadness in her chest. The Sorting Hat had said there was only one place for Johnsons and that was Ravenclaw. If that were the case, what is she doing sat over here in burgundy robes? She should be over there welcoming her sister into the family house. _Maybe you’re not good enough._ She felt her face getting hot as tears threatened dangerously to roll down her cheeks. Her sadness was quickly replaced by a flash of jealously before being washed over by a tidal wave of guilt.

This wasn’t about her. She should be happy for Aayla, this was her moment, but she couldn’t help the sinking feeling of failure and disappointment clawing at her throat. She also couldn’t help the prickling feeling at the back of her neck of someone watching her.

~*~

Poe and Rey were climbing one of the moving staircases that lead up to the Gryffindor tower, their waistbands significantly tighter than before the feast.

“Sweet mother of Merlin, I swear they add more stairs every year.” Poe gasped as gripped the stone railing. Rey chuckled and hummed in agreement.

“So, how are you feeling about NEWTs?” He asked.

“I take it you don’t mean the amphibian.”

“No.” Poe laughed.

Rey sighed. “Truth be told, I’m not sure how I feel. Either way I’m screwed. My OWLs results were shocking. I’m as surprised as anyone to see me back here after that disaster.”

“Hey, don’t say that.”

Rey didn’t reply. She knew that as much as Poe, Finn and Rose enjoyed her company, they couldn’t deny she was hopeless. Rose had tried her best to help her, but it was no use. However, despite it all, a letter arrived every year via Bebe inviting her back to Hogwarts with a long list of supplies she’d need.

They sat by the fire in the common room for a little while before Poe started to nod off on the armchair he was slouched on. They exchanged weary goodnights and retired to their respective dorm rooms.

Rey shared a dorm with three other seventh years whom she had developed an acquaintanceship with; Adi, Luminara, and Tahl. They were in deep conversation about whether they would take on a Quintaped when she walked into the dorm room.

“Oh Rey! You can settle this one. Who do you think would have more of a chance of surviving a Quintaped? Me or Tahl?”

Rey chuckled and avoided the question as she didn’t think either of them had much of a chance. Apparently, it takes multiple skilled witches and wizards to take one of those things down and even then, casualties were pretty much guaranteed. She didn’t like to dwell on Quintapeds too much. The thought of running into one frightened her. She’d be as much use as a muggle against it.

Laying awake that night, she stared up into the canopy over her four-poster bed. She could hear the faint snores and mutterings from her roommates. She shifted onto her side and looked out of the window. The view extended towards the forbidden forest and the lake. She could see shadows ducking and writhing around the treeline. Ominous as they were, the moving shadows calmed her. It was therapeutic to know she was somewhere they couldn’t hope to reach her.

Thoughts of her father popped into her mind as she lay there. Was he watching her? Was he proud of her? She felt tears welling up in her eyes again and for the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to cry. She let herself wallow in self-pity and despair. She basked in her jealousy of Aayla. She plunged into her debilitating frustrations with herself.  
The tears were rolling freely down her face onto her neck when suddenly, the thing she kept pushing into the back of her mind slithered into her consciousness. It soothed her, wrapping itself around her brain. She was too tired to resist it and let it consume her. It felt good to let go. It felt good to lean on what she never allowed herself to think about.

Eventually, she fell asleep with Ben Solo’s eyes burned solidly into the forefront of her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter chapter today bc it was a bit of a filler/i wanted to focus a little more on some of Rey's insecurities etc. Also thank you so much for 120 hits. A big thank you everyone that's taken the time to read especially with everything going on right now. An extra special thank you to everyone that's written lovely comments. It really means a lot so you're the best <3 
> 
> Love ya,  
> E x


	4. Chapter Four

Rey was pushing her cereal around her bowl when Poe slapped the piece of parchment paper onto the table in front of her, startling her out of her daydreams.

“Merlin’s beard, Poe. It’s too early for any sudden movements.” She grumbled.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Poe said as he flopped down onto the bench next to her, “but look!” he thrust the parchment into her face, “Quidditch try-outs are next week!”

It had been almost a week since the Sorting Ceremony and classes were due to commence tomorrow. Rey had spent most of her time down by the lake and the outskirts of the forbidden forest, foraging for wild berries and roots. Living in the countryside stayed with you, it seemed. She had also enjoyed taking walks through the grounds surrounding the castle with Poe, Finn and Rose. The way the castle was nestled between mountains, forests, meadows and lakes made for excellent hiking.

These activities were looked down upon by many as they were deemed “too muggle” but that was exactly what attracted Rey to them. They didn’t require some sort of innate talent that she couldn’t control. All she had to do was practice and she’d improve. It had what magic lacked. Inclusivity. Anyone could do it if they wanted to, no judgement.

She took the parchment Poe was dangling in front of her nose and smoothed it out to see who had signed up already. The only two names scrawled on the list so far were “Dameron” and “Johnson”. She looked up at him, exasperated.

“Poe.”

“Come on, it’s our final year! We have to be on the team! Besides, got anything better to do?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. Maybe studying for our NEWTs?!”

“Don’t be such a spoil sport. As if you’ll be doing any studying this year. Anyway, I have a good feeling about this season. You see it all has to do with the aerodynamics and the…”

Rey had stopped listening because something had caught her eye. Ben Solo strolled into the Great Hall, making his way towards the Slytherin table. His jet-black hair was swept back from his face and his usually ghostly complexion was flushed as though he had been doing some sort of exercise. He was wearing a black, slouchy jumper and black jeans that were covered in smears of wet mud. His boots were so filthy, he left muddy footprints behind him. What on Earth had he been doing this early in the morning?

She knew he could sense her gaze, so she turned back to Poe still gushing about Quidditch. She waved over to Rose and Finn as she spotted them shuffling into the Great Hall.

“Okay! Fine, I’ll try out but there’s no promises that I’ll get on the team. I haven’t trained much over the summer.” She finally gave in, earning a loud, embarrassing whoop from Poe. Rose and Finn sat down and their glasses filled themselves up with orange juice.

“Ready for classes tomorrow?” Rose asked, chipperly. This earned a look from Rey and Poe. “Stupid question.” She quickly added. “I mean, it’s not so bad. Care of Magical Creatures is our first lesson back. It could be worse.”

“True,” chuckled Poe, “It could be Potions.”

Rey snorted in agreement. Care of Magical Creatures was the most tolerable of her classes and, as an added bonus, she liked Professor Chewbacca. The four of them swiftly changed the subject to the Daily Prophet’s recent segment of a potential love affair between two bandmates of the Weird Sisters.

All the while, she kept her eyes trained on her friends but the familiar prickle on the back of her neck kept her distracted.

~*~

The next morning, Rey found herself shin-deep in marshland searching for Imps. The early autumn sun was beating down and reflecting directly into her face. Luckily, she’d had the foresight to put on sun cream to avoid sunburn. Rose had offered to cast a sun deflection spell for her, but she’d insisted she was fine.

“Be careful where you step!” Professor Chewbacca’s voice boomed through the marsh, “Imps can be cheeky little bastards so will try to trip you if you’re not careful!”

Professor Chewbacca was a tall, rather burly fellow with thick chestnut hair that came all the way down to his armpits and merged seamlessly with an equally impressive beard. It was hard to distinguish where his hair ended, and his beard began. Despite his intimidating appearance, he was a softy at heart and had always shown kindness to Rey. Perhaps he empathised with her a little. Rumour has it that Chewbacca had only been hired as the Care for Magical Creatures professor as a favour because magic didn’t come naturally to him. Rey didn’t know if this was true, but it comforted her, nonetheless. Perhaps it was possible that someone like her could have a place in the world of magic.

She spotted something dart towards a nearby shrub that had begun to break through the water. She noticed an unmistakable tiny Imp’s foot poking out from behind the shrub and smirked. _Gotcha._ If she caught one now, she’d be the first in the class. Perhaps this would be her year she’d start to shine.

She stooped down to snatch the little creature when she felt two pairs of tiny hands push the back of her bent knees with an unexpected amount of force, knocking her off balance. Before she could register what had happened, she plunged face first into the swampy water. _Those little shits._

She felt a large hand grab the back of her jumper and haul her from the algae ridden marsh water to place her back on her feet. She could hear a few giggles from nearby as she spluttered and wiped her face with the sodden sleeve of her jumper.

“There you are. You’re fine.” Reassured professor Chewbacca as he plopped her down. “Did you swallow any water as you fell? Don’t worry, it’s happened to the best of us. Those little bastards can be crafty.”

Despite his best efforts, professor Chewbacca’s words had not prevented the tidal wave of humiliation as she stood drenched head to toe in murky marsh water. Her uniform seemed to weigh a tonne now that it clung to her and her hair was plastered to her face. She cringed at the thought of the horrific UTI she’d likely get from this so made a mental note to stop at the Infirmary later.

By now, the entire class had turned to look. They weren’t even bothering to be subtle about it at this point. Tears prickled at her eyes, but she swallowed them back. The only thing that could make this worse was crying in front of everyone.

“Alright, back to work!” Chewbacca bellowed to her classmates, “Tico! Please accompany Johnson up to the castle for some dry uniform.”

“Yes, sir!” Rose called over as she began to wade towards them, shooting Rey a sympathetic look.

Chewbacca turned to Rey. “Might be worth popping to the infirmary on your way. Don’t want you catching something nasty. Especially with your NEWTs coming up this year.”

_It’s not just a cold I could catch from this,_ Rey thought as she and Rose began their ascent up to the castle. They used this opportunity to chat as they climbed the hill towards one of the castle’s side entrances. Rose was reciting the amusing story she was telling Poe on the train about being bitten on the arm by a Glumbumble as they reached the castle entrance. In the time they had taken to walk there, Rey’s hair had dried down slightly, so it hung in damp waves around her face, but her uniform was still sodden.

“It’s cool, I’m okay from here.” She told Rose as they reached the archway.

“You’re sure?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Okay, if you’re sure. I probably shouldn’t be too long or ol’ Chewie will thing I’m bunking off.” Rose said with a laugh as she pointed a thumb back down to were Professor Chewbacca was stood. He looked tiny from up here. “I’ll see you at lunch?”

Rey nodded and headed inside. She instantly regretted leaving Rose at the door. Now that she didn’t have Rose to distract her, the wave of embarrassment flooded through her veins. If she hadn’t already drawn attention to the fact she was a mess, she’d definitely made sure of that.

Now that she was out of the sun, she felt a lot colder. The cool breeze shooting down the corridor would normally be welcome on a day like today, but it made her teeth chatter. She wrapped her arms around herself, attempting to keep some body heat in as she upped the pace slightly.

She stared down at the floor as she walked. She wished she was invisible in moments like these. She watched a droplet of water drip from a strand of her hair and onto the floor as she began to walk around a blind corner leading up to the staircase. Mistake number two. It seemed she was on a roll today.

She looked up just as she crashed straight into a rather solid chest. She toppled backwards and fell bottom first onto the hard stone floor. She cringed as her coccyx and hands bared most of the weight from the fall. Sitting down was going to be painful this evening.

“Fucking hell watch where you’re going. You almost-“

Rey looked up at who she’d bumped into and found a familiar face staring back at her. Oh no. Not him. Anyone but him. Ben Solo had cut himself off when she’d looked up at him. Almost as if he’d lost the power of breath. His eyes widened and his mouth clamped shut. She could see his jaw clenching again.

It seemed as though they remained in that position for decades. Him standing over her, his gaze burning into her soul and she sat there staring back up at him. She felt vulnerable, exposed even. Like he was a bird of prey surveying his next meal. She wanted to scrabble to her feet and run away as fast as she could, but she was rooted to the spot. Stunned like a deer in headlights.

He opened his mouth to say something but seemed to have second thoughts as stopped himself. His fists clenched and unclenched. She saw his shoulders sink as though they had been tensed this entire time and his jaw relaxed.

Then as quickly as it had happened, it was over. He side-stepped around her and was walking briskly down the corridor as if nothing had happened. She stared back at him in disbelief. _Charming! He didn’t even help you up!_ Come on, this is Slimy Solo we’re talking about here. _Even so! How rude, it was almost as if he’d never seen a wet woman before._ Well, maybe he hasn’t.

Rey scowled at the back of his head and gingerly got to her feet. She was beginning to ache already so hurried up the staircase towards the Gryffindor Tower. She could almost hear her warm, dry clothes calling out to her from her dorm room.

~*~

“Those bloody imps. I swear every year I get a student in here who’s been pushed in by one.” Madam Kalonia, the school nurse, remarked as she rubbed an ointment on her palms. She’d taken the skin off them when she fell the second time.

“Palms out, please.” She said cheerfully and she tapped the middle of each once before bandages wrapped themselves around her hands. “Now, they’ll stay put until the healing process has finished. Then they’ll dissolve themselves so there’s no need to come back for a bandage change, dearie.”

“Thank you, Madam Kalonia.” Rey answered, politely.

“Oh, one more thing before you go, my love.” Madam Kalonia called as she began rummaging through a wooden cabinet filled with tiny glass bottles. “Ah! Here we are.” She handed Rey one of the smallest glass bottles she’d ever seen. She held it up to the light and saw it contained a miniscule measure of a thick, burgundy liquid.

“It’s Pepper-up Potion,” Kalonia explained, “It’ll help you warm up a bit. That’ll be enough for a dab on the tongue now and another before bed. Don’t take it all in one go, mind you, you’ll have steam coming out your ears all evening.”

Rey pocketed the bottle, thanked Madam Kalonia once again, and wondered out of the Infirmary. The bell tower chimed once as she meandered towards the Great Hall just in time for lunch. The corridors were getting busier as she neared the Great Hall, so she took a detour, heading outside to a path that ran parallel to the building. She followed it round towards the Great Hall, dragging a fingertip across the undulating bricks as she went.

She could hear snippets of conversations as she walked past open windows leading to the corridors full of students. It was like spying on a snapshot in time. Hearing a piece of someone’s life that wasn’t meant for her ears.

“- I’d love to but Kenobi’s essay on werewolves is due in tomorrow… Yeah I know I had all summer to do it but –“

“-Honestly if I fail my OWLs, I might just work down Knockturn Alley –“

“-Did you see her face when Chewbacca pulled her out? Drowned rat comes to mind –“

“-I don’t give a shit about why you did it, Ben, it doesn’t make it any less illegal –“

Rey’s ears pricked up at the angry hushed tones radiating from a more secluded corner of the corridor she was passing. The voice sounded furious, as if who it belonged to was needing a lot of energy not to shout.

“I wouldn’t have done it, but I didn’t have a choice.” She heard another voice hiss back.

She pressed her back against the wall and angled her ear upwards. It was Solo and Hux. But what were they talking about? Illegal? Is this why Solo’s in trouble with the Ministry? Or has he done something else? Why is Hux so angry? Is he involved?

She was struggling to hear them clearly over the chattering from down the corridor, so she grabbed hold of two bricks protruding from the wall and hoisted herself up closer to the window. A sharp sting radiated through her hands from the pressure of her whole bodyweight resting on them. She scrabbled to find a suitable brick to use as a foothold whilst straining to nosey in on the whispering.

Just as she had found her balance, she heard the unmistakeable sound of a loose brick being knocked from its place and tumbling to the ground with a thud. Her eyes widened in horror. It wasn’t a deafening sound, but it was loud enough.

She froze as the hushed voices fell silent. If they looked out of the window, there was no doubt they’d see her. She heard shuffling. Then, to her dismay, footsteps coming towards the window. She sprung off the wall and broke into a sprint as soon as she touched the ground. She ran all the way round the side of the building until she got to the Great Hall. She didn’t dare look behind her.

She caught her breath outside the door to the Great Hall and strolled in as casually as possible with the steady flow of students filing in to grab some lunch. She spotted Finn, Rose and Poe on the far end of the hall and headed towards them. They were digging into their macaroni cheese when Finn caught sight of her and waved.

She was but a few paces away when she felt _his_ presence. _Just act natural. He probably didn’t see you. _She slid down next to Finn with a quick hello and glanced up towards the entrance to the Great Hall.__

__He was lent up against the doorway, arms folded, and eyes trained on her, with an unmistakable look of accusation painted across his face. His eyebrows were raised in a _‘did you think I didn’t see you?’ _kind of way.___ _

____She could almost feel herself shrinking in size. His huge frame and the sheer intensity of his gaze caused her to quickly avert her eyes away from his. It was as if she couldn’t bring herself to challenge him by defiantly staring back. She could still feel him staring at her, suffocating her as she began to eat in silence._ _ _ _

____He knows she was there. But not for how long. Nor how much she knows. In the grand scheme of things, that wasn’t a lot. She knows he did something illegal, but she had worked out that much from what Rose had told her on the train._ _ _ _

____She attempted to shake off the heavy aura he was exuding and joined in on the conversation her friends were having on Imps. She told them of her unfortunate encounter with the Imps and showed off her hands to them. They fawned over her like a wounded soldier._ _ _ _

____The bell tower chimed twice and they sighed._ _ _ _

____“Anyone got Charms next?”_ _ _ _

____“Nope, Transfiguration, I’m afraid.”_ _ _ _

____“Wanna trade? I’ve got Potions with Snoke.”_ _ _ _

____“You’re alright, thanks. What about you Rey?”_ _ _ _

____She rummaged through her satchel and pulled out her timetable. “Urm, let’s see. Defence Against the Dark Arts: Room R-16.”_ _ _ _

____The four joined the gaggle of students exiting the Great Hall and parted ways at the staircase to go to their respective classes. Professor Kenobi’s classroom was situated at the top of a long flight of spiral stairs that seemed to move and undulate at its own discretion. It was an achievement in itself to arrive to the class on time._ _ _ _

____Defence Against the Dark Arts was one of Rey’s least favourite classes. This was almost exclusively due to the fact she got injured in pretty much every lesson. _I suppose its good practice for when you’ll come up against real dark magic – you won’t stand a chance._ Rey thought to herself._ _ _ _

____Once she’d reached the top of the stairs after only tripping twice, she knocked on the heavy wooden door with the name ‘Kenobi’ embossed into it in gold lettering. If you looked close enough, you could see that the name on the door had been changed so many times, the wood was discoloured and worn out. The position of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor seemed to have a high turnover._ _ _ _

____“Enter!” She heard a voice shout from the other side, so she headed into the classroom._ _ _ _

____Despite being situated on the top of one of the castle’s thin turrets, the room had been enchanted with an Extension Charm so as she walked through the door, she entered a large, rectangular room with a high arched ceiling. The wooden cladding that began at the apex of the ceiling, curved down and met the floor, inciting the feeling that you were stood inside the ribcage of a large, hollowed out carcass. Thus, the classroom was aptly nicknamed “the dragon’s skeleton”._ _ _ _

____Professor Kenobi was stood at the far end of the room next to a blackboard that had been enchanted to dictate his notes to the class as he spoke. When she entered, he tapped the board once and it ceased its transcription._ _ _ _

____“Ah, Miss Johnson, come in. Don’t worry, you’re not the last one here. Those pesky stairs will keep a few of your classmates for tad longer.” He chuckled._ _ _ _

____The room was dimly lit with a few candles lining the outskirts of the room. She began to walk towards an empty desk at the back of the room when the professor spoke._ _ _ _

____“This desk here please, Miss Johnson,” he announced as he tapped a desk at the front of the class with his wand._ _ _ _

____There was someone else sat at the desk she would have to share with. She didn’t mind, however, as there was more than enough room for two. This was until she realised who she was to be sharing her desk with as she drew closer._ _ _ _

____Her stomach dropped. Merlin’s beard, there’s no getting away from him._ _ _ _

____He turned around in his seat to watch her as she walked over to him._ _ _ _

____A sly smirk crept onto his face._ _ _ _

_____Shit._ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost at 200 hits!! Also i wasn't joking when i said this would be a slow burn lmao but don't worry, we'll get there stick with me. As always, thank you for reading, the comments and kudos; they're all very appreciated. Let me know your thoughts so far/ any improvements if you have any.
> 
> Love ya,  
> E x


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh hey so it's been a while! if there's anyone still interested in this fic i'm so sorry it took me so long to update! i moved away to uni and honey, it's been rough let me tell ya. things are a lot better now so more frequent updates from now on you have my word.

She slumps down onto the chair next to him but keeps her eyes trained to the blackboard behind Professor Kenobi. Her gazed traced the piece of chalk bewitched to take notes as Kenobi spoke. A tingle crept up her spine. She could feel him observing her.

“Can I help you?” Rey murmurs, through gritted teeth.

Ben Solo smirks again and follows her gaze towards the front of the classroom.

“You look a little flustered,” He whispers innocently, glancing at Professor Kenobi to ensure he doesn’t get caught, “is something the matter?”

She clenches her jaw, willing herself not to respond. _He’s a wind-up merchant. Just ignore him._ Well that can be quite difficult when he’s close enough to breathe down my neck.

The thought of his mouth on her neck suddenly slithered into her mind and she felt her cheeks prickle with heat. She inwardly screamed, horrified at the thought of that arrogant prick coming anywhere near her. She banished the thought back into the depths of her subconscious. Besides, she wasn’t exactly his type either. She was practically muggle scum to him.

“Now, non-verbal spells are very important.” Professor Kenobi explained as he perched casually on the corner of his desk, “Especially in duels as it’ll give you the element of surprise over your opponent. This can be crucial against someone trying to harm you and could even be the deciding factor in life or death. Your NEWTs will require you to master non-verbal spells, so we’ll get started on practicing right away.”

It took everything Rey had not to groan loudly. She had lulled herself into a false sense of security by reassuring herself that she was probably safe from duelling for the first week or so of lessons. Or so she thought.

She could just about manage a disarming spell and, on a good day, she could even achieve some sort of blocking spell. It was due to this that she rarely partook in duelling if she could help it. However, to her disappointment, in Defence Against the Dark Arts classes it was mandatory practice. As often as it occurred, she’d never gotten used to being hit with a Stunning spell.

The class got out of their seats and the furniture skidded over to the walls as though they were being pulled by invisible rope.

“Now, in your pairs. I want you to practice disarming and blocking spells, for now. They must be non-verbal. I don’t want to hear any incantations!” He shot Rey a warning look. “No excuses, Miss Johnson.”

She heard Ben let out a snort next to her and felt a warmth prickling her cheeks.

The class spread throughout the room in their pre-chosen pairs and stood parallel; facing each other with approximately five metres between themselves and their partners. Rey planted both feet on the floor and balled her hands into fists. Ben stood opposite her with a confident smirk, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of letting him know how nervous she was. Rey thanked her lucky stars that the worst he could do was disarm her because she had no doubt in her mind that he would gladly crush her if he had the opportunity.

She looked him dead in the eye and took out her wand from her garter beneath her skirt, twirling it around her fingers elegantly. He whipped his out from his back pocket and passed it between his hands, casually. His wand was glossy, black and completely plain aside from the minimalist handle at the bottom. It looked expensive; certainly not from Ollivander’s. It was almost comical how his oversized hands dwarfed it. It looked like a twig.

“Now, wands at the ready!” Kenobi called. Rey and Ben held their wands up to their faces and swished them back down to their sides before extending a curt bow towards each other. They held unrelenting eye contact as if breaking it would be an unspoken sign of submission. If her non-existent magic ability was to suddenly decide to show its face, now would be perfect. Deep inside she willed herself not to fuck this one up.

Professor Kenobi called for the duels to commence and before Rey could even register what had happened, her wand pinged out of her hand. She watched it clatter onto the stone floor and stared at it for half a second. This was going to be harder than she thought. She retrieved her wand and resumed her position. The smug look on Ben Solo’s face was infuriating; she wanted nothing more than to be able to wipe it clean off his face.

“Just warming up, Johnson?” He chided.

“I wanted to give you that one.”

He chuckled. She hadn’t heard him laugh properly before. He should do it more often, she thought. It made him seem more human, more likable. Even if he was a massive arsehole.

_Right, focus. Imagine the spell. Channel it through your mind into your fingertips, and into your wand. Protego. Protego. Pro-_

Once again, she felt her wand whip straight from her grasp and rattle on the cold stone floor. Her face burned. Her back began to sweat. Head swam with embarrassment. She scooped it back up off the floor.

_Again._

_Focus._

_Pro-te-go._

_Shit._

_Again._

_Now, focus. Really focus._

Half an hour later, Rey’s frustrations were on the cusp of boiling over after Ben had disarmed her for the twenty-fourth time in a row. She felt as though, any minute, the floor would open up and drag her down into the abyss. She hadn’t produced a single spell yet. She was pouring with sweat, not from excursion but from humiliation. This was the second time today that she’d exceeded expectations of being a fuck-up. She’d really outdone herself this time.

Mercifully, Ben had remained silent throughout the ordeal, much to Rey’s relief. He probably pitied her and had decided not to beat a dead horse. She was utterly pathetic. For a reason unknown to her, she had wanted to prove to him wrong. That she wasn’t something to feel sorry for. In some capacity, she’d even wanted to impress him. She couldn’t bear to look him in the eye. She imagined Hux would have a field day with this one later.

“Right,” Professor Kenobi’s voice rang out, “let’s try something a little bit different for the last portion of the lesson.”

Rey let out a sigh of relief that she didn’t know she was holding. Thank Merlin, she thought. She was at her wits end with duelling and wanted nothing more than to escape the clutches of the Dragon’s Skeleton. Professor Kenobi glanced at a sand timer positioned behind him, in which the sand fell upwards, and gave it a sharp flick eliciting an ethereal ping which reverberated around the room.

“We’ve got about fifteen minutes left so I want you to begin practicing your combative techniques as well as some more advanced deflections non-verbally.”

Rey’s stomach felt like it had dropped through the floor. It seemed fitting that a day like today would end with her in the Infirmary for a second time in the space of a few hours. If she couldn’t deflect a simple disarming spell, she’d have no hope against an actual curse.

Her wand began to feel slippery in her hand as her palms began to sweat. She didn’t know why she was so bothered by this. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t had her arse handed to her in a duel more times than she could remember. Come to think of it, she couldn’t think of a time in which she’d ever won a duel.

She thought back to earlier when she’d heard Solo’s hushed conversation with Hux. He knew she’d heard something, his face in the Great Hall told her everything she needed to know. This was his chance to ensure she stayed silent about what she’d heard. Of course, he couldn’t kill her, not in a room full of witnesses. Besides she hadn’t even heard that much. That didn’t stop him from severely maiming her and blaming it on a slip of the mind, however.

She searched his face, trying figure out what his plan might be, but as ever his face was unreadable. He had an odd expression etched on his face. His brows were knitted together, and his mouth pressed into a straight line. It was a look of conflict, confusion maybe? He was staring down at his wand, tossing it between his hands.

As soon as Kenobi ordered for wands to be at the ready, his eyes snapped up to meet hers and he brought his wand up towards his nose to be swished back down to his side. Rey mirrored his movements in tandem. She could feel a droplet of sweat travel down her spine, taking the tiniest of undulations around the contours of her back. Her jaw ached from grinding her teeth so violently and her eyebrows were knitted together in naïve determination.

“Duel!” Kenobi called all too soon.

Rey felt her muscles subconsciously tense in anticipation for whatever Solo had in store for her. She concentrated on any blocking spell that she could materialise in her mind. Sweat was beginning to pool at the base of her spine, wetting the fabric of her shirt. Her shoulders were almost up to her ears and her jaw clenched and unclenched.

She saw him make a small movement with his wand, almost between a flick and a jab. She could already taste the foul bitterness of the Skele-grow she would have to swallow with her dinner tonight, along with her pride. She squeezed her eyes shut, ready for what was coming.

But it didn’t.

She opened her eyes in surprise to witness the golf ball sized mass whiz straight past her ear and crash straight into the bookshelf behind her. She spun around to see some of the books ablaze and the already rather rickety set of shelves begin to rock unsteadily.

“Step back, Miss Johnson.” She heard Kenobi bellow from behind her.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. She watched in shock as the fiery bookshelf began to topple over on top of her. Her feet seemed to be cemented to the ground below her and she realised it was too late to avoid the burning shelves coming down on her. She closed her eyes and slung her forearms in front of her face, bracing for the impact.

She could feel the scorching heat of the flames drawing nearer to her arms and she scrunched her face up in anticipation. But, yet again, the pain never presented itself. She lowered her arms and peered around in time to see the flaming bookshelf be transfigured into a flurry of monarch butterflies just as it was about to fall on top of her.

The sensation of dozens of butterfly wings brushing against her as well as the relief of not having to spend the rest of the week in the infirmary caused her to let out a small giggle.

“I wouldn’t be laughing if I were you, Miss Johnson,” Professor Kenobi’s voice boomed behind her, “you’ve just earnt yourself a month’s detention.” She turned to see him tucking his wand back into his robes with a face of pure thunder. “When I give you an instruction, you follow it. Do you understand?”

“But sir-“ She began to protest. It wasn’t her fault Solo had shoddy aim. She began to hear murmurings and giggles from her classmates around her.

“I think,” Kenobi interrupts, “that just about wraps up our lesson for today. I want you all to keep practicing your non-verbal spells because next week I will be testing you.”

The room volume began to increase as everyone scrabbled back to their desks to retrieve their bags and enjoy the few remaining warm afternoons of the year. Rey stared at the floor as she made a beeline for her bag. The less eye contact she made with anyone, the better. She could hear a group of Slytherins snickering about her across the classroom. Maybe it would have been easier if Professor Kenobi had allowed her to be crushed by the bookshelf.

She was deep in thought about how serious injury may have been a more tolerable outcome to this lesson when she walked straight into the back of someone. Her nose bumped directly into their solid back and she rebounded violently clutching her nose. Maybe injury wasn’t completely off the cards.

“Shit, sorry.” She mumbled nasally as she pinched her nostrils. The familiar sensation of a nosebleed tickled her septum. Brilliant.

She looked up to see none other than Ben Solo towering over her and her hand fell from her nose. She felt a drop of blood trickle from her nose and instinctively wiped it on the back of her hand, not breaking the fierce eye contact she currently held with him. His eyes burnt with something she hadn’t seen in them before. Was it pity? Sympathy? She didn’t have time to dwell on it, however, because he spun round abruptly, striding over to his books stacked up on a desk nearby. He promptly swept them off the table and without another glance in her direction, stormed out of the classroom.

Rey sighed and shuffled over to her satchel sat on her chair. She angrily threw her wand into it, wondering why this wand had chosen her at all if it barely produced any spells. She swung the satchel over her shoulder, stooped her head down to not make any unnecessary eye contact and made towards the door, hurriedly.

“Not so fast, Miss Johnson!” She heard Kenobi call after her just as her hand had begun twisting the doorknob, which she let go of immediately. “I’d like a word with you, please.”

~*~

Rey spent the rest of her free afternoon in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom stood on top of the desks swinging around a large net with a fifteen foot long handle, trying to catch the butterflies that had found a new home up in the rafters. A glass jar was sat by her feet with 98 butterflies fluttering frantically inside. She could hear the dainty tapping of their wings against the glass. Kenobi had told her that she was to collect every single butterfly; no magic allowed. It took all Rey had not to laugh in his face at the fact he had felt the need to specify that to her.

She wasn’t fully concentrating on the job, however. All she could think about was bloody Ben Solo of all people. The unreadable look on his face, the way he stormed out of the classroom and, most notably, the bookshelf. He could have landed that curse with his eyes shut. But he didn’t. Why would he spare her like that? Did he feel pity for her? Showing mercy to the poor little squib from a great wizarding family didn’t seem like his style. Did he have something even worse lined up for her? Something where there’ll be no witnesses. She didn’t want to think of the things Solo and Hux might have up their sleeves. They were probably plotting something at that very moment.

Professor Kenobi was sat at his desk hunched over a third year’s homework muttering to himself while his quill danced over the page in a series of strikes and slashes. With one last dismissive strike on the parchment, he placed his quill onto the desk and took his half-moon glasses off with a sigh. He carefully placed his glasses on top of the parchment paper he was marking and leaned back in his chair. He looked exhausted, especially as the amber rays of the setting sun cast deep shadows in the contours of his face. He peered up at Rey and finally spoke.

“Right, Miss Johnson, I think that will be all for today.”

He stood up and stepped around his desk. His long, auburn robes swishing behind him as he strode over to the desk she was stood on. With a flick of his wand, he banished the net and the two remaining butterflies fluttering around the rafters materialised in the jar. He picked up the jar carefully and brought it up to his face so he could peer through the glass.

“Fascinating things, Monarchs.” He announced as he tucked the jar under his arm and began walking towards the door. He jerked his head to indicate to Rey that she should follow him.

They walked in silence through the castle. The corridors were deserted because dinner had just started. Rey’s mind wandered to roast beef with crispy potatoes and felt her stomach growl. She had barely eaten so missing dinner would be the cherry on top of such an awful day.

They wandered outside, past the Herbology greenhouses, towards the forest. They stopped at the edge of the trees and stood in thoughtful silence for a moment before Kenobi turned towards Rey.

“Do you know why these butterflies have such beautiful, vivid colours, Miss Johnson?”

Rey shrugged. “No, professor.”

“It’s to warn predators not to eat them.” He explained, “They’re poisonous to ingest due to their diet being mostly Milkweed, you see.”

He twisted the lid of the jar off and most of the butterflies flew out in a bright, frantic burst. He put his hand into the jar and one fluttered onto his finger. He brought it up close to his face to examine it. A satisfied smile played on his face like a clockmaker admiring his intricate handywork.

“Milkweed is a highly toxic plant. Almost no other animal can ingest it but the Monarch butterfly evolved not only to eat it, but to use its toxic properties to its advantage.”

He blew at the butterfly resting on his index finger and it sprung into the air, gracefully flying towards the treetops. Kenobi watched it perch on a tree branch just above them. He seemed to be in deep thought.

“Such a beautiful, defenceless little creature.” He said, still squinting up at the trees, “It’s using what we have in life that is the key to our survival. Utilising the things around us, finding our strengths in the unexpected.”

All the butterflies had left their glass prison. She could see some in the distance travelling towards the mountain. She felt a flash of jealousy. If only self-preservation could be second nature to her as it was to butterflies, life would be so much simpler.

Rey turned towards the castle, looking up at its looming turrets and blinking lights from the windows. For the first time, Rey appreciated how large Hogwarts was. She had to crane her neck to see the tallest turret piercing the sky that was beginning to twinkle with stars. She became aware of how small she was; how small they all were. She became aware of her feet planted comfortably on the ground and the steadiness of her breathing. She felt the clothes on her body and her hair swaying in the wind. For the first time in a long time, she felt a clarity wash over her.

“I need to find my Milkweed.” She said slowly.

A small smile played on Professor Kenobi’s lips and he gave her small nod. Then, in thoughtful silence, they strolled back up to the Great Hall to catch the end of dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always tysm to the real ones that comment and leave kudos, you're the best. Let me know what you think and i'll catch you on the flip.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading my first ever fic! I'm kinda new to this so be gentle please lol. Any suggestions, tips, notes are very much welcome in the comments. 
> 
> Love ya!
> 
> E x


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